Dr Asim registers FIR against NAB for allegedly raiding his sister’s house

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi President Dr Asim Hussain has registered an First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified and heavily armed persons for allegedly raiding the house of his sister, ARY News reported.

The former petroleum minister registered the complaint at the Tipu Sultan police station and alleged that unknown persons probably from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), armed with weapons, raided his sister’s Dr Rubina’s residence at Block 6, Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS).

He further said the men stormed the house, while his sister was not present at the time, harassed the domestic servants and forced a watchman to unlock all rooms. NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has also been nominated in the FIR as the former petroleum minister alleged the raid was conducted at behest of the anti-corruption watchdog.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Izhar Lahori said that case had been registered against unidentified persons while further investigation was underway.

Dr Asim was released about four months ago after nineteen months in custody over corruption charges filed by NAB.

Dr Asim, a close aide of former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, faces corruption references pertaining to land fraud amounting to Rs9.5 billion, money laundering of Rs3 billion, and misuse of authority and criminal breach of trust in a fertiliser scam of Rs450 billion.

The NAB had also accused him of illegally awarding contracts to a privately-managed gas processing company, Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited, to process gas from government-owned gas fields without an open auction, causing a loss of Rs17.338 billion to the national exchequer.

He was also accused of providing treatment and shelter to criminals at his hospitals at the behest of leaders belonging to various political parties. The Sindh High Court on March 29 had accepted the bail plea of the former petroleum minster in corruption cases against him.